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FaBclub review 24th January 2010 written by Clive Meggs Here we are again at the White Hart, Grays and are looking forward to an exciting afternoon's entertainment. The temperature has risen considerably outside over the past week, and we hope the same will happen in the inside this afternoon. Trevor has volunteered to be our compere for the afternoon and the dynamic duo start with a rousing number - She Bangs The Drums - written by The Stone Roses. I thought Trevor might have written it for our resident drummer, Sue, but I was sadly mistaken. She really goes to town during that number. Their second song, Upminster Bridge, is very quietly sung and played by Trevor. Sue seems to have got the taste for the bodhran and is fairly prominent throughout, mainly due to the quietness of her partner. It is such a lovely song making its first outing because it was only written last Saturday. Well done, Trevor. Linda is next performing solo. She starts with a rousing chorus song - Johnny I Hardly Knew You - and the audience appreciate the chance to exercise their vocal chords. Obviously finding what the audience wants she follows with another chorus song easily recognised by most attendees of Folk Clubs. The chorus of The Larks They Sang Melodious and other last line refrains make the song instantly recognisable. The crowd love it and join in with gusto. Well sung both Linda and the Fabclub chorus. Margaret is next and starts with a tale about one of her protégées, and continues with several other stories. But we are here to listen to music so she is encouraged to comply. She starts with a song she heard the Dubliners sing - I Wish I Had Someone To Love Me- not that you would recognise it as one of theirs. A very sweet love song, Margaret. She continues with the only Scottish song she knows, as it is Burns Night tomorrow- a gay song as she describes it - Marie's Wedding. Och Aye!!! Trevor introduces Foxen next as they look the least prepared. He is such a tease. Good job it is not a striptease says Sue. They start with a humorous number from Norfolk about a man being called to the armed services and leaving his true love, written by George Kipper of the famous Kipper Family. Excuses are made to avoid his call up until he finds his true love is pregnant, when he can't wait to get away. A serious ballad next, beautifully sung by Margaret with some great backing on guitar from John, - Gentle Maids Ashore by John Bliss. Beautiful!!! JoJo is next with a song about hanky-panky - The Galway Shawl. Another song for the fabclub choir to join in with gusto. Thank you JoJo. She is followed by our domestic duo, Bernard and Maureen, who give us a couple of their tremendous toe-tapping tunes totally in time. Clive is flying solo today with a farming song with a difference - all about modern farming practices. Involving lots of politically correct information and forbidden practices. Called Modern Day Farmer and written by Dave Horden , a refreshing outlook on contemporary matters. He continues with Waltzing With Bears, again a light hearted song with a great chorus. Now is the time for our break, so we take ten minutes to sort ourselves out and return to the fold in a more comfortable disposition. Len is called up after the break and starts with a Tim Harding song - Reason To Believe. He tells us that has a connection with Trevor this afternoon because he was thinking of staying at home to watch a film called The Drum and had earlier dropped Barbara off a Upminster Bridge Station - that's SPOOKY!!!!. He continues with a new song to me - Stone Me. Great song Len!! Our resident poet is next and how we have missed her this season. She starts with a poem not frequently aired called The Workshop written by Liz in memory of her grandfather who worked with clocks. Liz tells us that she has a number of new poems that she has been working on recently, some about snow. We look forward to these in the coming weeks. As they are not yet ready she gives us My Haven't They Changed, a poem about observations at a reunion. Nice to hear it again Liz!!!! After a story from yours truly who is referred to by Sue as a little joke, Tone Deaf Leopard return to the front for their second spot. They start with a song with a calypso rhythm as their contribution to Burns Night - Mary of Argyle. The percussion comes out with avengeance for the next song, once performed by Manfred Mann, called If You've Gotta Go - Great Fun!!!! Bernard and Maureen are next with a couple of instrumental extravaganzas. The percussion is already out and is used to good effect. JoJo then gives us Shallow Brown, after an informative story about her daughter and a recorder. Some unusual harmonies are heard in the background of this wonderful chorus song. Well sung JoJo!!!!! Len is up next - everything is going out of turn this afternoon. This was totally unexpected by our artiste. He nevertheless, in true professional style goes straight in to Strawberry Fields Forever and sounds even more like The Beatles than usual. Then, inspired by a visit to Romford Folk Club on Tuesday he sings John Lennon's Imagine, which he heard Nora sing there. Well appreciated Len!! Margaret goes back to her youth next with Sweet Sixteen, some rock'n roll for her fans. She follows with Blue Blue Day, but this has been far from it! Maureen tells us that the bath balls she won in the raffle expired in May 2007 - someone is going to turn green, then. After much laughter Liz is called upon to bring some order to the proceedings. She gives us her poem about Shoes which provokes many comments. Ploughmans Lunch are next, together, with a foxhunting song all about foxes. They continue with Three Score And Ten, a chorus song instantly recognised by the fabclubbers. Foxen are asked to finish the afternoon off and in true tradition they decide to bounce off Margaret (which is quite pleasant they say) with a song about a sixteen year old and a rhubarb pie (arma fiddle eye). Rather a novel chorus song which is very funny. The last song of the day is about a friends reunited experience, and they bounce off Liz in this respect, with Friends Reunited Blues. What a great afternoon!! If you want more of the same we are back again in the function room on Sunday 7th February 2010, for a special afternoon to celebrate our 5th Anniversary, so please try to be there. We are having a buffet so a plate of food to share would be appreciated. |